Thursday, 5th November.—I awoke this morning at 7 and got up at ½ past 7. At 9 we breakfasted. At 12 Mamma received an address from the Mayor, Corporation, and Inhabitants of Hastings and St. Leonards. After 1 we lunched. At 7 we dined. Lady Conroy, Jane, Victoire, Messrs. E., S., and Sir J. C. dined here.
Tuesday, 11th November.— ... At ½ past 11 we went out driving in the barouche with Lady Flora and Lehzen. We got out and walked and sent the barouche home. We afterwards got into the close landau with a postilion and horse in hand. As we came to the commencement of the town where a seminary is to be built, the hand-horse kicked up and getting entangled in the traces fell down, pulling the other with it; the horse with the postilion however instantly recovered itself but the other remained on the ground kicking and struggling most violently. Two gentlemen very civilly came and held the horse’s head down while we all got out as fast as possible. I called for poor dear little Dashy who was in the rumble; Wood (our footman) took him down and I ran on with him in my arms calling Mamma to follow, Lehzen and Lady Flora followed us also. They then cut the traces, the horse still struggling violently. The other horse which had been quite quiet, being frightened by the other’s kicking, backed and fell over into a foundation pit, while Wood held him, and he (Wood) with difficulty prevented himself from falling; the horse recovering himself ran after us and we instantly ran behind a low stone wall; but the horse went along the road, and a workman took him and gave him to Wood. The other horse had ceased kicking and got up. We ought to be most grateful to Almighty God for His merciful providence in thus preserving us, for it was a very narrow escape. Both Wood and Bacleberry behaved very well indeed. The names of the two gentlemen who held the horse’s head are Rev. Mr. Gould and Mr. Peckham Micklethwaite.[171] The latter I am sorry to say was hurt, but not very materially. The poor horse is cut from head to foot; but the other is not at all hurt only very much frightened. We walked home....
Sunday, 30th November.— ... We went to church with Lady Flora and Lehzen. Mr. Randolph preached a most beautiful sermon. It was taken from the 6th chapter of St. Paul’s 2nd Epistle to the Corinthians, 1st and 2nd verses. “We then, as workers together with Him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. For He saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” At 1 we lunched. At 3 came Victoire Conroy till a ¼ past 6. At 7 we dined. Jane, Victoire, Messrs. E., H., and Sir J. C. dined here.
Tuesday, 2nd December.—I awoke at 7 and got up at ½ past 7. We received this morning the news that my poor Uncle, the Duke of Gloucester,[172] was dead. He expired on Sunday evening, the 30th of November, 1834, at 20 minutes to 7. I am very sorry that we have lost him as he was always a most affectionate and kind Uncle to me. Aunt Mary, I hear, bears her loss wonderfully. Poor Aunt Sophia Matilda, his only sister and who was excessively fond of him, is dreadfully distressed at losing her only brother. But her piety will enable her to bear this great loss. He was so kind to think of us the morning before he died. Aunt S. Matilda told him that we had asked how he was, upon which he answered, “Tell them that I say, God bless them, and that I love them.” This kind message proved the quiet state of mind he was in. He showed such piety, such peace and resignation, that that proved a great comfort to his poor sister. He was in his 59th year....
Tuesday, 23rd December.— ... I received from dear Uncle Leopold this morning some most interesting autographs which are: Louis Seize’s, Marie Antoinette’s, Henri IV.’s, the Duke of Marlborough’s, the Empress Maria Theresa’s and her husband’s, and Lafayette’s....
Sunday, 28th December.—I awoke at 7 and got up at 20 minutes to 8. At 9 we breakfasted. At 11 we went to church with Lady Flora and Lehzen. Mr. Randolph preached a very fine sermon. It was taken from the 1st chapter of St. Matthew, 21st verse: “And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins.” At ½ past 1 we lunched. I forgot to mention that I received this morning a very kind letter from dear Uncle Leopold, accompanied by a beautiful shawl and the autographs of Louis XV., his Queen, Marie Leczinska, and the Dauphin, father to Louis XVI. At ½ past 2 we went out with Lady Flora and Lehzen and came home after 3....
INTRODUCTORY NOTE TO CHAPTER IV
The Princess attached importance to this year of her life. It appeared to her that she benefited more fully by her lessons, and began to realise their importance. About a month after her birthday she was confirmed at the Chapel Royal, St. James’s, by the Archbishop of Canterbury. She was impressed by the solemnity of the occasion and frightened by the austerity of Archbishop Howley. This year marked an epoch in ways other than spiritual. She was allowed more freely to mix with her mother’s guests. Personages of distinction were asked to meet her, and she had an opportunity of seeing some of the more eminent of those who were to be her future subjects, although she had scant opportunity of getting to know them well.
She went to Ascot this year in the Royal Procession, and then, in the autumn, her mother arranged for her a Progress on the lines of that which is recorded in her Journals of 1832. There is nothing, however, to show that she was alive to the trend of public events. The existence of Lord Melbourne’s second Ministry was precarious. It was said that Lord Melbourne had against him the King, the Church, the Bar, the Agricultural and Monied interest, and a large minority in the House of Commons; whereas he only had in his favour a small majority in the House of Commons, the manufacturing towns, and a portion of the rabble. This was the Tory analysis of the political situation in 1835. “Threatened men and threatened Ministries enjoy a long life,” and Lord Melbourne’s was no exception.
The Princess was in frequent communication by letter with her Uncle, King Leopold. He sent her many interesting autographs for the collection she at that time was forming. They corresponded about books. It was he who recommended her Sully’s Memoirs, which, as her Journals show, she assiduously read, and he now and then referred in admonitory terms to her future regal responsibilities and duties.
On one occasion he sent her an extract from a French Memoir containing a severe criticism on the political character of Queen Anne, to which she replied that as he had endeavoured to point out to her what a Queen “ought not to be,” she hoped he would give her some idea of what a Queen “ought to be.” Those who are familiar with the character and disposition of King Leopold can imagine that he responded willingly to the invitation. It was upon this note that the year 1835 came to an end.
CHAPTER IV
1835
Monday, 5th January.—I quite forgot to mention that on the morning of the 20th of November a ship laden with either coal or chalk sank, but all the crew came off safe. Lieutenant Gilley and five men put off in a boat from the 3rd Martello Tower, in hopes of being able to save some of the goods of the sunken ship. The sea was very high, the boat slight and over-loaded, and they had scarcely left the shore when the boat was upset and they were all six drowned! The poor sister of the Lieutenant is residing here. Three of the poor men were married and left their poor widows (all young) plunged in the greatest grief. The body of Weeks, one of the married men and who had 3 children, was found two days after, at Pevensey. The poor Lieutenant’s body was only found last Sunday, the 28th December, quite near here; and one of the other married men, called Conely, who had 4 children, was found the next morning near Hastings; and Andrews, the last married man, who had only been married a very short time, was found on Wednesday night, the 31st December, in the same place. It was a great gratification to the poor widows that their husbands’ bodies have been found. We saw two of them at a distance the other day. They are all very decent-looking, tidy and nice people. At a ¼ to 12 we went out walking with Lehzen till 1. As we walked along by the towers we met Mrs. Weeks, one of the widows, with her little girl. She had a widow-cap and bonnet on, and a Scotch cloak. She looks as pale as death but has a mild sweet expression....